LARO was founded in the summer of 2004 by
Lia Starer Levin and Thomas Axworthy, two musician/teachers who were
inspired by the growing recorder orchestra movement that originated in
England.
The main motivation for Lia was to
actually play in an orchestra with a repertoire of varied periods and genres.
The recorder does not fit into orchestras with modern instruments, being
an Early Music instrument with a specialized historical style, so we had
to create our own. Using all sizes of recorders from sopranino to
subcontrabass and playing multi-part orchestral arrangements makes for
varied, colorful programs.
Tom's motivation was to offer
professional and qualified amateur recorderists a forum for high-level
playing and performing, as well as presenting the recorder in a new
light, thereby enriching the Southern California music scene.
Membership in LARO was initially by
personal invitation, but since then the door has been opened to auditions
(see Contacts for more info). The thirty
members of the orchestra pay quarterly dues and rehearse three evenings a
month. LARO presents concerts several times a
year in venues around greater Los Angeles, and has recorded a CD for each
of its programs.
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